benefits jumped to a one-and-a-half year high, surging 78,000, thanks to super- storm sandy. the total was 439,000. meantime, consumer inflation slowed to a one tenth of a percent increase, thanks to lower energy prices. without food and energy, core inflation was up two tenths of a perce.re wan troll s eet, the dow fell 28.5 points, the nasdaq was down almost ten, and the s&p 500 dropped two. if you want to know how the economy is faring, it pays to keep an eye on walmart. after all, it has over 10,000 stores across the globe, selling more than $1 billion worth of stuff every day. it earned $1.08 per share in the third quarter, a penny more than estimates, and up 11% from last year. but revenues were a little shy of forecast, and walmart's outlook for this quarter was less than anticipated. compare that to rival target's quarterly earnings-- four cents better than expectations at 81 cents a share and a holiday outlook that didn't disappoint. erika miller reports on what the results say about all-important the holiday season. >> reporter: $3.6 billion. that almost unthinkable number is
